ENPages
Page 1
CHARITABLE DEPARTMENT. American Tract Society. Instituted in Boston in 1814 Committee of Charities. REV. E. VB. WEBB, D. D. S. G. BOWDLEAR, ESQ. REV. WILLIAM HAGUE, D. D. REV. WILLIAM C. CHILD, Secretary. Tract House, 28 Cornhill, Boston, April 18th 1866. Dear Bro. Alvord Your letter to Bro. Warren was recieved this morning. Your estimate of the Speller this morning was very grateful to all of us. We are disposed to concur with you in opinion. Now as our series is complete, the grand question is "How can we get it in use?" I have just been to see a lady, a prominent person in the N. E. Freedmen's Aid Soc., in regard to introducing the series into the Schools under the charge of this Society. She informs me that that association have adopted the plan of free schools, in which both the black and white scholars are admitted. Consequently, in her opinion, books prepared es-pecially for the "Freedmen" will not be ap-propriate for use in those schools. She also informs me that the Societies in New York & Philadelphia have adopted the same plan. If this is so, it can easily be seen that there is not much prospect of our being success-ful in either of these directions.
Page 2
I do not know what prospect there is of getting our books into use through the teachers of the Am. Miss. Ass'n. I am glad to learn that you took a complete set to John St., & hope the books will commend themselves to those in power there. But considering the religious character of that Associa-tion's work, & the fact that it confined its efforts to the colored people, the books ought to meet with favor there. I hope—(& no doubt you will)—you will exert all the influence you can in this direction. But I fancy we may have to depend chiefly on the Bureau to introduce our books. Gen. How-ard's known friendliness to our Soc. may help us, while the intrinsic excellence of them ought to be more potent & influential still. Can you not in-augurate the matter through the Bureau now? You have informed us, from time to time, of voluntary, independent schools, self-sustained, & especially needing help. For these you have plead. I hope that through the Bureau they can be reached still. I am prepared to say that we will do some-thing at once towards introducing the books in the way of grants. Probably we can not do so much as you would feel desirable; but a little will help somewhat. Our receipts have fallen off, & our expenses are larger this year (I mean in the charitable department)
Page 3
& consequently we have to be careful. Besides I do not know but the charitable department will hve to make up a deficit which had occurred in connection with our periodicals. If this is so, we shall have less to use in grants. But I am prepared to say that we will do all we can. And in order to be spe-cific, I will name $1000, as the amt. that can be used in this work as fast as the books can be introduced into school in the South. Now if, through the Bureau, you can find schools to which this amt. can be donated, you can have that grant to be forwarded to your direction. Of course we would not want a large amt. to be lying long at any place. You understand just what I mean. I hope you will press the Am. Miss. Ass'n to a desicion. If they decide to introduce our books, we are to give them half as a grant. So you see this will be a pretty heavy draft on us, should they go into the thing very extensively. Matters in regard to the N. Y. Society have not made much progress as yet. You will hear from us, if any thing decisive is reached. I have written Fussell to make preparations for a meeting in N. Y. Will you not speak for us here? Bro. Warren says that next to Gen Howard, he would rather have you than any other man to speak in regard to the South, & I concur with him. Now we
